


Haven Stay

by the_lie_eternal



Category: Auf Streife
Genre: Angst, Blood, Friends to Lovers, Gunshot Wounds, Happy Ending, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Intensive care, M/M, Robin is a fighter, Robin was beaten up as a young adult and became a policeman because of that, policemen at work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:06:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_lie_eternal/pseuds/the_lie_eternal
Summary: It could all change in just a second and Florian never wasted a single thought on the possibility - until the day when it happened.
Relationships: Florian Winter/Robin Sturm
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Haven Stay

**Author's Note:**

> The song I used for the title and overall mood of the fic is "Haven Stay" by tAKiDA!

"You bet I was so hungry yesterday after shift, I ordered not one but two whole pizzas." I chuckled, looking over at Robin who sat on the passenger seat of the patrol car. It was nightfall when we were driving down the crowded streets of the Cologne we lived and loved.

"No wonder you became such a fattie." Robin raised his brows as I felt his hand patting my belly.

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, playfully offended which left us both giggling like schoolboys.

"13/01 for 13/23." the well-known voice of our colleague rang in our ears and I sighed as our amusing banters had to be set back for after the case.

"Aye, 13/23." Robin rolled his eyes as he answered the call.

"Tulpenstraße 63 at the local luxury boutique, robbery. Suspect is armed. I repeat, suspect is armed. Stay safe." the transmitter told and we shared a look - followed by a nod. I loved the confidence in Robin's blue eyes and the pure profession he showed at each case. I was so proud of him.

"Understood, we're on our way." he said and I enabled the siren and warning-light of our car.

We sat behind the bushes in front of the boutique, watching the happenings inside. The suspect was holding a gun into the poor woman's face as she placed all the money from the cashier in the white plastic bag. Now or never, we wanted to use the surprise moment. In the side of my eyes I spotted yet another patrol car, our supporting patrol - 13/27 which were Moritz and Arne. They stayed in the background yet, keeping our backs clear.

Robin and I rushed inside, our guns out of holster and attentive. I wasn't afraid, it wasn't the first time we solved an armed robbery. Robin and I shared another look, nodding again as we understood each other without words - and the following seconds felt like an eternity.

"Hands up, Cologne police! Put that gun-" Robin exclaimed ... but a gunshot deafened me. I looked into Robin's face as he began trembling, as he began stumbling while cramping his hand around the vest covering his torso. I saw blood ... so much blood. I didn't even notice how Moritz and Arne rushed through my view, tackling down the criminal to arrest him. Robin ... just Robin.

I ran over to him, catching him as he fell down onto his back while more and more red liquid covered his hand, his shirt, the floor.

"Rob, stay with me! Rob, Rob look at me!" I shouted as I ripped off his vest, too ripping apart his uniform and the soaked white shirt he wore under it. It hit below his right shoulder, exactly the spot which the vest didn't cover. I took a piece of his messed up uniform, pressing it onto the horribly bleeding wound as hard as I could while Robin started coughing.

"We have a shot policeman! I repeat, we have a shot colleague, we need help like RIGHT NOW!" I heard Arne shouting into his transmitter while Moritz seemingly brought the criminal into their car.

"Robin, you have to stay awake." I muttered, cupping his cheek with my free hand. "Look at me, Rob. It's me, Florian. I am here for you." I added, brushing through his messed up hair as he started coughing harder, his fingers deeply burying in my arm. Only now did I feel the tears running down my cheeks, the cold sweat on my forehead and my hurting heart.

"Stay with me, I beg you." I started sobbing as Robin's grip became weaker, as his eyes slowly closed. "I beg ... Robin ... you're going to be okay ..." I cried out as his coughs too stopped and only harsh, deep breaths were left.

It was Arne who held me close as the paramedics and the emergency doctor put their hands on Robin, and I couldn't remember ever crying this hard in my whole life.

"He's going to be okay. He will survive." Arne too suppressed his sobs as he had his arms tightly wrapped around me, comforting my shaking body.

"We have no time, he needs to go to the hospital immediately, emergency surgery and everything, GO!" the emergency doctor commanded the paramedics, hearing these words made me dizzy. I couldn't go with them ... he could do it ... a fighter ... a warrior. My hands were full of Robin's blood and I was well aware of the fact how I smeared it all over my own and Arne's uniform but I couldn't help myself.

"Did you arrest this pig?" I sniveled as my friend was brought into the ambulance and silence filled the room.

"He's already brought away, probably locked up and rotting in his pre-trial cell." Arne comforted me, not even thinking about letting me go. I was glad about that, my knees wouldn't had been strong enough to hold me. Moritz now too joined us, helping our colleague to get me outside of the boutique which was now crime scene of an attempted murder. The ambulance had already raced off, single droplets of blood on the ground were the only remainders of the traumatizing experience that happened just right in front of me.

Robin got shot. I grasped the thought back on my rational brain, my police-professionality. My best friend got shot.

Arne stayed next to me for the whole drive back to the department, Moritz sitting behind the steering wheel. Someone else would care about the patrol car I had to leave behind, that wasn't the biggest issue in the moment.

The department was dead-silent. They all heard the news, they all saw my messed up uniform, the stains on Arne's jacket and the way all three of us had to fight our tears. Still I was thankful to be there, the safest place one could be and among my friends. I wouldn't survive being all alone, uncertainty about Robin's health.

Moritz hadn't said a single word for the whole duration of this case, I saw it in his eyes how much he too fought entirely breaking down, I knew about the great friendship between him and Robin. It hurt, everything just hurt. Michael sent all three of us into the changing room, we could go home if desired because he wouldn't even think about sending any of us out again.

Wearing a clean and fresh shirt only calmed me for a few seconds but at least I could walk by myself and think straight again as Arne was anyway busy comforting Moritz, who now suffered his personal breakdown. This had to be a nightmare, I muttered, sooner or later I would wake up in my bed and everything would be alright.

My ellbows rested on my knees as I stared at Michael talking into the phone, both of us sitting in his office. My two colleagues left, Arne would take care of Moritz for the remaining night but I was left helpless so I stayed at the department.

As Michael hung up I straightened my back, waiting for what he had to say as he had just talked to the hospital.

"He's alive." he said, and a stone fell off my chest, at first. "However, he's laying in a coma now and they ... they don't know when he will wake up again ... or if he will at all." he added and I felt as if someone slit my throat open.

"You can visit him, intensive care that is ... but the hospital promised me to keep me up to date." Michael nodded and I couldn't help myself to get up and pull him into a hug. We all were in this together; me, Micha, Mo, Arne and every single one of our colleagues. Everyone loved Robin, everyone would've wished to switch places with him as nobody, not a single person ever wanted something like this happening to him.

My body was shaking as I drove to the hospital in the middle of the night, my hands couldn't stop trembling as I showed the nurse at intensive care both my Personal ID and Police ID, asking for a certain Mr Sturm.

I gulped as the door to his room was opened, but the mere fact that I saw his chest rising and falling evenly gave me hope. I was allowed to stay for around an hour, I was fine with it for as long as I was allowed to see him and be by his side at all. It hurt my heart as I eyed all these monitors around him, beeping and fuzzing while showing numbers and lines, at the same time there seemed to be countless tubes going in and out of his body but at least he only had a nose-piece to help him breathe, and not a whole giant tube cramped down his throat. I placed myself on the chair standing next to the bed, and for a solid ten minutes I didn't say anything, nor did I do anything except observing. Robin seemed to sleep, peacefully. His wound was patched up with fresh bandages, he looked so much better without having blood all over him. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly opened to support his breath.

I had to smile as another bunch of tears rolled down my cheeks.

"You're such a fighter, aren't you?" I chuckled, carefully grabbing his hand to hold it in mine. It felt warm and alive. Robin would survive it, that's what I was sure of.

"I was afraid, so afraid that I would lose you." I muttered, well knowing that Robin wouldn't answer nor hear me at all.

"I'm so glad that you're alive. Rest up, my friend. You will be back on your legs in no time, back at the department to solve crimes." I sobbed again, pressing my lips onto the back of his hand as comfort while I broke down to cry. He might've been alive ... but at what cost?

I leaned against the counter at our department, waiting until Stephan was done changing his clothes.

"Are you sure that you can go back on patrol already?" Paul asked as he stood in front of me, gently brushing his hand over my shoulder. I nodded with a slight smirk. I had been home for 3 days, I already couldn't stand it after the first one and I craved for work after the second one.

"Robin is in good hands and he wouldn't be happy to see me struggling all alone at home. He would do the same, would our places be switched." I explained and Paul too could spare a smile. Our colleague was doing well, recovering fast after an emergency the night before where his breathing suddenly became uneven and heavier but the hospital staff was quick to calm him again. They guessed it to simply be a bad dream (or thought) he had in his coma, as all his parameters were perfectly fine and healthy given by the circumstances. I had visited him daily ever since it happened, but now that I got back to work I wondered if I would still have enough time for that. Yet with Michael as a caring and loving boss I had no issues, he would've always planned an additional colleague onto my shift to replace me if I had to visit Robin in emergency situations. I didn't know how to ever thank him for that. Michael called it common sense, but I was sure that no other boss would've done that for me.

"Alright, ready to go." Stephan's deep voice echoed through the hallway and a few seconds later he stood in front of me and Paul, already holding the keys in his hand. My smaller colleague nodded at the taller chief inspector, afterwards patting my shoulder for the last time before we headed outside.

"No case yet, what are you up to for today?" Stephan asked as we both were placed in the car, planning what to do in the following 8 hours.

"Foot patrol in the residential area for sure, but for now we can just stroll the streets of the center, I would suggest." I raised my brows at my colleague and he nodded as the motor of the car was started up.

"Good idea, let Arnold know where we are." he agreed and together we raced off into the direction of said location - of course attentive of the speed limit.

It was a thankful day, most of the time me and my colleague were patrolling the streets, at times solving minor arguments or fights but nothing severe or relatively bad. It was a good start to get back into work even though I still had the fear in my bones.

The thought that Robin might not wake up anymore.

It had been exactly a week since Robin got shot as I was sitting in the waiting area in front of the entrance to the intensive care, waiting until they were done with his checkup. It felt like hours until the nurse finally called me inside - by that time they already knew my name and the fact that I was a policeman - and I could visit my friend. I had something on my mind ever since, already before this whole thing happened. He was yet again recovering from another emergency, two nights ago where he stopped breathing entirely for a few minutes. I didn't want to realize it in my brain, but probably my body felt as if Robin's time left was limited and I had to tell him now or I would never have the chance again to do so.

"Hey buddy, I heard you're getting better again, that's nice." I stated. Even if he wasn't answering I had the need to talk to him, I couldn't leave him in pure silence. I placed myself on the well-known seat, grabbing his hand as always.

"I'm actually thinking about something for quite a while now ... you know? I have no idea if you can even hear what I'm saying, but I can't bear the weight of it anymore." I felt myself stuttering. This wasn't just a minor confession I had to make, this whole thing could change our whole relationship.

"I've started seeing you with different eyes. I know, you're my best friend and all, but for quite some time I've been looking closer at everything you do." It was incredibly hard for me, even if I knew that Robin wouldn't react.

"I like you, alright. I'm just saying it how it is,  _ I love you _ . I fell in love with you and I don't know if I would've ever found the confidence without this whole hazzle ... I hope you're still in there, inside your head. I hope that you make it. Maybe I find the strength again once you're back, when I know that I already told you once.  _ I love you, Robin _ ." I repeated, tightening the grip around his hand as it came over me again that he wasn't there.

His body might've laid right in front of me, but his soul was somewhere else, far far away. I spent the remaining time that was given to me for the visit in tears, close to him and listening to the even beat of his heart.

My head buried in my arms, I let out a loud sigh as the most recent clients left our department. Some people were just horribly tiring without being aware of it, and for some reason it was always those people who decided to visit the police department.

I heard my name being shouted from Michael's office, replying with a hum while I stepped over into the doorframe of it, said man waving me inside.

"Florian, listen." Michael took a deep breath, entwining his own fingers. I stared at him, a lump forming in my throat.

"He's awake." he stated.

"You're joking, right?" I exclaimed, but Michael shook his head.

"If the following night goes well, he's transfered into a regular hospital room and is allowed to leave if he's good for another night. I'll take your work, go." he slowly started smiling.

I was frozen in spot, unable to process the words splashing against my ears.

And the next thing I remember was sitting in my car, still in uniform while racing down the streets of Cologne.

"Mr Sturm, a so-called Florian Winter wants to visit you." the nurse asked as she opened the door, no audible reaction coming from inside but I was granted access nevertheless. The door falling back into the lock behind me, two sparkling blue eyes greeted me and I couldn't help myself to run over to his bed, wrapping my arms around him to hold him close to me. Robin was awake.

"They told me that I was gone for 12 days." his still croaking voice stated, and I couldn't help myself from laughing, slowly lowering the hug but not even thinking about letting him go, keeping my hands on his shoulders as I placed myself on the side of his bed.

"Man, I feel like I got drunk and have a massive hangover but nobody wants to give me a coffee ... wait, you're still in uniform?" Robin muttered and raised his brow at me while eyeing me from head to toe.

"Rob ... I can't tell you how happy I am to see you like this. I thought you would die, as you laid there with a bullet in your shoulder and as you laid here with your eyes closed." I murmured, not replying to his question nor statement.

"Flo, you know that this is not my first time at intensive care, the world needs more than this to kill me off and you  _ know _ that!" he exclaimed quite offended in a joking manner, which made us both laugh.

"Welcome back, Robin." I sighed, pulling him closely against myself again.

Robin was visibly exhausted after the countless visits of our colleagues, and the way he looked at me after probably the whole department stepped through this room cracked me up. He was glad to be back home by the next day, and if everything was going to be okay he could even go to work again in 2 to 3 weeks.

"Hey, Flo." he muttered, sitting up on his bed to have a proper look at me. "You know, I love you too."

I coughed, almost suffocating on the air I had to breathe as I realized what he said. He  _ WHAT _ ?

"Don't look at me like a tractor, I heard what you said to me." he chuckled and reached out to take my hand, which I gladly did.

"You ... you really ..." I had no words left, did he ... he love me back?

"I wasn't sure, it was some kind of dream I was living in during this coma. I heard what the doctors said, I heard what you said ... I heard that you cried ... and you cried so much and I couldn't do anything against it." he explained, gently pulling me closer so I raised from my chair to sit down on the side of his hospital bed. I didn't know what to say, too much information for my little ape-brain.

"Just ... thank you, for everything." Robin whispered, gently brushing his hand over my beard before leaning in, pressing his mouth onto mine catching me both off-guard but also expecting it. His lips felt warm and soothing, blowing away every dark thought that was left inside of my head.  _ He loved me. _

"You saved my life." he murmured in-between kisses that became deeper than expected. The images of 13 days ago returned into my mind, I remembered all the blood and the pain Robin was going through.

I looked at the rather big stitch going over half of his shoulder and chest, wondering what would've happened without the protective vest and a shot placed a little bit further into the middle.

He pushed my face up again as he realized the stare, scratching my beard with his fingers, clearly enjoying doing it.

"Can I be your boyfriend now?" he asked, puppy-eyes at full action but there was anyway only one possible answer.

"Only if I can be yours." I replied.

I was just romancing our departments' coffee machine as I heard the door buzzing and right after muffled noises of a hug, followed by laughter. He was back, finally.

Grabbing not one but two cups to fill them with coffee, I then walked onto the hallway to see (and hear) everyone on duty hugging the hell out of Robin, telling him how much they missed him.

Everything was forgotten as he spotted me, pushing everyone away to run into my arms, pressing a needy yet short kiss onto my lips. I couldn't do much instead of letting it happen, after all I had a cup of coffee in each hand, of which I handed Rob one right away when he unwrapped himself from me.

"Your promised coffee." I chuckled, watching an adorable grin forming on Rob's face. I loved it when he smiled and he did it way too rarely.

"Alright boys, mind if you step closer now that both of you are here?" Michael's amused voice reached our ears and as commanded we stepped closer to the counter, setting down our cups.. I wasn't even wondering about why our colleagues wouldn't go back to work after greeting Robin, something might've still happened.

"It came to my hearing that both of you needed new parts of their uniform, so I thought I would combine everything right away." Michael said and placed two bunches of clothes onto the counter, the seemingly new shoulder straps standing out the most.

"This must be a mistake, Flo has two stars and I have one, not three and two." Robin raised his brow as he too eyed the clothes in front of us.

"You both are hilariously stupid today. Mr Sturm, I have to congratulate you for your promotion as chief inspector, as it was overdue and the fact that you survived this mess showed me that you deserve it more than ever. Mr Winter, you've saved a colleague's life and put your own in danger as nobody could handle their partner getting shot right in front of their eyes as good as you did. Congrats, senior chief inspector."

I stared mouth open at Micha, who was reaching out both of his hands to us, and Robin, who looked just as surprised as I did.

"Should I pinch you two or what, can I get some hugs now or not?" Michael complained and Rob was the first one to run around the counter to hug him, followed by me while I thanked him again for everything that he did for me and for Robin.

Turning back, our colleagues were now cheering and my partner and I had to look at each other with a smile.

"Congrats, thanks to me you earn more money now." Rob chuckled and cupped my cheeks with his hands.

"Thanks to me you're standing right here, chief inspector." I raised my brows, wrapping my arms around his waist as I pulled him into a kiss that lasted several seconds.

Just an hour later, Rob and I found ourselves back on the battlefield of policework as we were on patrol as yet another emergency of an armed robbery was given to us - and we arrested the suspect in no time with no inconveniences.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [All Your Life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28015440) by [the_lie_eternal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_lie_eternal/pseuds/the_lie_eternal)




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